BJP reaches out to BSP

The BJP has sought to reach out to Mayawati-led BSP, which withdrew support to the UPA Govt at the Centre.

Amidst signs of warming up of ties between Congress, battling the Left parties on Indo-US nuclear deal, and Samajwadi Party, the BJP on Friday sought to reach out to Mayawati-led BSP, which withdrew support to the UPA government at the Centre.

With Mayawati having cited UPA government’s alleged discrimination of Uttar Pradesh as one of the reasons for withdrawal of her party’s support, BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani said his party, if voted back to power at the Centre, would treat the state ‘without prejudice’.

“Let me assure Uttar Pradesh through the people of Kanpur that if NDA comes to power under BJP’s leadership our government will not discriminate against any state government especially with a state that is Ganga and Yamuna (Uttar Pradesh),” Advani told a rally in Kanpur.

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“Secondly, I believe that UP, with a population of nearly 18 crore, is too important to be ignored. Indeed, it must get the highest attention from any government at the Centre. India cannot achieve rapid and balanced progress if UP lags behind,” he added.

He also sought to remind the track record of the six-year rule of NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to drive home his point and said, “How can a government neglect Uttar Pradesh”?

Without naming Samajwadi Party, Advani said, “One of the two major parties in the state was engaged in efforts to save UPA government at the Centre”.

During his more than half-an-hour speech, Advani did not attack the Mayawati government and concentrated more on attacking the UPA dispensation at the centre.

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He suggested BJP had an ‘important role’ in helping BSP return to power in Uttar Pradesh by its sustained campaign against SP.

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